….as ARCN assures upscaling food production

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – FOLLOWING the quest by the Federal Government to ensure Nigeria’s do not go hungry, the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Friday, moved to revitalize the nation’s agricultural research institutes and colleges of agriculture.

The Executive Secretary, NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, disclosed this on the sidelines of the ‘NADF Baseline Survey and Needs Assessment of Agricultural Research Institutes and Federal Colleges of Agriculture’ held in Abuja.

He said: “One of the mandates of the NADF is to support in research, in agricultural research, and setting the agricultural sector right for national priorities. What we have done is that around September last year, we constituted a consultancy team to do a needs assessment.

“First of all a baseline survey and a needs assessment of the 16 agricultural research institutes and the 17 colleges of agriculture, so that we will be able to know their strengths, the constraints, gaps, challenges, and of course the opportunities. This assessment was conducted extensively, and all the research institutes and colleges of agriculture were visited.

“The idea is, after the prioritization, we would go on a massive resource mobilization. The state of the agricultural institutes is very deplorable.

“There is a lot that needs to be done, and a lot of neglect is the reason. These institutes and colleges of agriculture have been neglected for years and years. We are now here, thanks to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we want to have a very tailored approach.

“We want to see how we can leverage on the little public sector funds that we can bring to catalyze private sector funding.

“We want to look at the unique propositions that some of these institutes have, and see how we can help them commercializing some of the outputs we get from them, how we can have market linkages to that. On the one hand, we want to see that whatever we do is sustainable.”

Meanwhile, the ES made it known that NADF has signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a renewable energy giant to provide power to the institutes to facilitate their activities while discussions are ongoing with an Internet provide as well.

“Already we have gone into an Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with one of Africa’s largest power companies, renewable power company, to help see how we can provide constant power, renewable energy to these institutes.

“We are also at the beginning of discussions with another company that is into internet provision, to see certain things are basic. There is no way we can leave these institutes without light, without internet. So we want to do that.

“There are certain things that are cross-border for all the institutes and colleges of agriculture, and we look at the unique issues.”

However, he explained that “most likely the prioritization would be which institutes have the mandate for the food security crops, for the priority crops of this country, and probably start with them.”

Meanwhile, he explained that the budget would be massive after everything is put together, which would be huge based on the lack of investments over the years on the Institutes and colleges of Agriculture.

“I can tell you that it (budget) is going to be massive, considering the state that these institutes and colleges are in, and it is very worrisome because lack of investment in research, R&D, innovation, probably is one of the reasons why we are where we are.”

Also speaking was the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, ARCN, Prof Garba Sharubutu, asserted that after 25 years now, it is the Tinubu-led administration is focusing attention to rejuvenate research institutes and colleges of agriculture with the aim of boosting food production.

“I can say in summary that the reform of the Tinubu administration is touching on the research system in this country now because before his coming, for over 25 years, no thought, thinking, attempt was made to touch on the substance of the agricultural research system, and we know that agricultural research is the basis for which food production and food security can be obtained in any country.

“So if the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, has decided this time around to focus on the agricultural research institutes and the Federal Colleges of Agriculture, I think the reform of this administration is beginning to touch on us.

“And the only thing I can say is that with the array of resource persons, with the commitment of the National Agricultural Development Fund, I am very sure that once the needed attention is given as it is now, we should be looking forward to the production of very viable seeds, the upgrade of our local food, seeds, and seedlings for better productivity”, he added.

Meanwhile, one of the resource persons and Executive Director of Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, NSPRI, Prof Lateef Oladimeji Sanni, pointed out that the baseline survey was very important step taken to ensure new things erupt ad are sustained to change the narrative in the Institutes and ensure food production is massively impacted positively.

“One, we had a pre-assessment before that led to some level of capacity enhancement. So, if we are coming back now to review and audit ourselves and look at what are our key strengths and areas of weaknesses that need some level of improvement, to me, this current study is good.

“The second point is that it is one thing for you to interact with institutes. It is another thing for you to have feedback, and the fact that all of us have been called now to look at the report and tear it out and synthesize them to be able to rank the most important areas of support that if they are done, research institutes and colleges of agriculture will be able to come out with research outputs that will enhance agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

“And at the same time create new set of human capital that will be able to help the private farmers and investors that want to go into agricultural transformation in the country. So, to me, this is a very good opportunity and I think I am very happy to be part of it”, Sanni added.